By Sally on September 19, 2011

With the end of summer, farmers markets are overflowing with beautiful tomatoes. Romas, beefsteak, and heirloom varieties. Take advantage of the season and make roast tomato marinara sauce. Enjoy it tonight, freeze it or pressure can it for winter months to come.

Take Advantage of Low Prices

While prices are low and quality high, I brought home twenty pounds (9 kilos) of fresh tomatoes from the farmers market to make roast tomato marinara. I usually freeze it, but this year I’m going to preserve it in my pressure canner. And any extra I am willing to part with will make terrific gifts that my friends will appreciate.

Roast the Tomatoes for Rich Flavor

Roasting concentrates the natural, sweet flavors of the tomatoes and brings out the sweetness in the garlic. Use a large roasting pan, like you use for roasting a turkey.

If you have double ovens or one really large oven, you can do two pans at once, if you have two roasting pans. If not, borrow a second from a friend or do the sauce in two batches.

Chunky or Smooth

After roasting, pour the tomatoes into a food processoror Vitamix and puree. For a chunky sauce, do a few pulses. For a smooth sauce, process for a little longer. Your preference.

Another tool option, try a stick blender (immersion blender). They are a handy tool that takes up a lot less kitchen space than a food processor or high powered blender for smaller kitchens. Be sure to puree in a tall pot in the kitchen sink to reduce splatter.

All weekend long the house has smelled wonderful with this sauce roasts in the oven. I’ll place the finished jars in my pantry or freezer, knowing a quick and healthy dinner is at hand whenever needed.

Timing

Process the sauce in pint/half liter jars for 20 minutes or according to the manufacturers instructions.Along with the pressure cooker, you will need the canning kit.

Low-acid foods, such as tomato sauce, must be processed using a pressure canner, not a water bath. Only a pressure canner can reach the 240 degrees necessary to safely process low-acid foods (a ph value greater than 4.6)

Sterilize Your Jars

Read here for instructions tooven sterilize jars. Place jars on a rimmed baking sheet for 10 minutes at (225 F/107C) for 10 minutes. You may also be able to do them in your dish washer depending on the cycles it offers.

A note on canning jars – There are many options available. You can find Ball jars at most grocery stores. Right now I am using theBormioli Italian canning jars. There are several sizes to choose from and make nice gifts if you plan to share your sauce.

Roasted Tomato Marinara Sauce with Garlic and Oregano

Prep Time

Cook Time

Description

Although ten pounds (4.5 kilos) of tomatoes sounds like a lot, roasting concentrates that into about 7-8 cups, enough for about 4 pint (half liter) jars. One jar will serve 3-4 for dinner over pasta. This sauce will keep fresh in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. You can also freeze it or pressure-can it. To roast this many tomatoes at once, you will need to use two roasting pans so as not to crowd the ingredients while roasting. That may require two ovens or roasting in two batches. If you don’t own a roasting pan, find a friend who does and borrow one.

Serving Yield 7-8 cups (approximately 2 liters)

Ingredients

10 pounds (4.5 kilos) fresh, organic tomatoes

16 whole, peeled, large, plump organic garlic cloves

½ cup (120 ml) extra virgin olive oil

½ cup dry red wine (120 ml) (or use chicken or vegetable broth)

6 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves

2 medium onions, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon kosher salt or sea salt

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Tools: 1 or 2 large stainless steel roasting pans and a food processor

Directions

Pre-heat the oven (s) to 425 degrees (218C). Get out two large stainless steel roasting pans (like for roasting a turkey).

Wash the tomatoes. Depending on the type of tomato, you may need to cut out the core first, as with large Beefsteak or Heirloom varieties. Then, cut tomatoes into large chunks. Don’t cut the pieces too small. Big chunks are good. The smaller the pieces are the faster they will roast.

Place pans in the oven (s) and roast until tomatoes have reduced and are starting to get a few black edges. The pan should still have some juices, not be dry. Depending on your oven it should take 45-60 minutes. Stir half way through. If the tomatoes are really juicy, it may take longer.

Remove pan from oven, set on the stove top and allow to cool a few minutes until you can handle it. Carefully transfer the roast tomatoes into a food processor with a steel blade and pulse 5-6 times. You can also use a blender or an immersion blender (stick blender) in a deep pot or bowl to minimize splattering.

The sauce it ready to serve, or cool completely to refrigerate in an ice bath. Freeze or process for canning.

Note – Canning tomatoes requires a pressure canner. See notes in the post.

Madonna | September 20, 2011 at 12:04 am

I’m making this. I love the fact you incorporated the type of cookware you used. Once I started using the correct bakeware/cookware my food just kicked up to a different level. I know someone like Bittman said you should be able to cook with any cheap pan, but apparently I am not that talented. Thanks for sharing. I see pasta and pizza in my future.

Sally | September 20, 2011 at 12:14 am

Hi Madonna. Thanks for the kind words! My preference for pans is All Clad. The food processor shot is my brand new Breville Sous Chef. So far I’m really happy with it. Big capacity, powerful motor, nice attachments with a container to store them. May have to rite a post about it. Got it at Sur La Table, and the canning jars too. For pressure cookers, Fagor! Happy cooking. Please let me know how the sauce works out for you.

Teddi | September 20, 2011 at 3:50 am

I just found your recipe this morning and made it right away (had all the ingredients out to make my yearly spaghetti sauce and can it). Yours was divine! So simple, easy and I was able to do it all without blanching, peeling and chopping the tomatoes. Thank you so much! For dinner, we used what I wasn’t able to can by adding mushrooms and green peppers and serving over spaghetti squash. Everyone loved it!

Andrew | September 20, 2011 at 1:26 pm

For recipes like this (which sounds really tasty, by the way) I would recommend getting a hand-held blender. They cut out the work of the blender/food processor by allowing you to puree to any level of chunkiness you want with hardly any clean up. Can’t wait to try this recipe, I just hope tomatoes at the farmers market are still available this weekend.

Sally | September 20, 2011 at 4:12 pm

Hi Andrew, yes, stick blenders (immersion blenders) work really well if you don’t have a food processor. Thanks for the note. I’ll add that. I often forget about my stick blender! I just got a new Breville food processor so I’m playing with that. I hope tomatoes are still available this weekend too. I may have to make and can more. If you make it please let me know how you like it!

Jeff | September 24, 2011 at 6:12 am

Ryna | September 25, 2011 at 6:33 pm

Saw your recipe on Tastespotting. I made a batch of the marinara today and I have to say it is pretty amazing. I probably looked real attractive as I was standing over the sink sopping up the leftovers with a piece of bread before I washed the pan. Thanks for a great recipe. I ended up canning 9 pints and am looking forward to making it again and using it fresh when I have a big group to feed.

Lyss | July 15, 2012 at 1:43 pm

Linda | July 20, 2012 at 10:14 pm

Hi there, I have to call you saucy Sally, because your recipe made the best sauce using tomatoes from our garden. My husband was wowed and truly enjoyed the sauce over a bed of speghetti. PS: for a kick in the sauce I removed the seeds from two CA yellow chili’s and roasted them along side the tomatoes. Thank you for posting and sharing your recipe with us!

Sally | August 22, 2013 at 5:34 pm

Ashley | August 16, 2012 at 8:40 pm

Oh… my…. god… I just made this and I am in heaven!!!! My house smells so amazing, I can’t put it in words. I used San Diego tomatoes I grew in my garden. The taste is unbelievable. I used about 14 tomatoes and it yielded 3 pint size mason jars. I am a happy girl! Wondering how long they will last without having them properly sealed. Any ideas?

Sally | August 16, 2012 at 8:44 pm

Thanks Ashley. Love to hear that! I’d say about 5 days, so freeze what you don’t use within that time. Freeze one, then thaw and try it again. If you like it as well…and you should…you can make a bunch and just freeze for later use, when your garden is all done and your lovely tomatoes are a summer memory. You could also try canning them.

Judy | August 25, 2012 at 12:46 pm

O’ my goodness..I just made 3 batches of this recipe from tomatoes & basil from my garden, added some oregano, green pepper & the lushious smell from my kitchen was wonderful. It was so easy & cleanup was a snap. I have 5 pints for the freezer & will do more when more tomatoes come ripe..I licked the bowls & utensils..I love this recipe..thanks for sharing..

Sally | September 3, 2012 at 10:02 pm

This looks fantastic! I’ve been looking for a perfect recipe to use up some tomatoes. Do you need to peel the skin from the tomatoes? I would love not having to since so many other recipes say you need to!

Sally | September 11, 2012 at 5:01 pm

Jim Perry | September 11, 2012 at 2:26 pm

Hi Sally. Dumb question for you. I really want to make this sauce, but I have no idea how many tomatoes are in 10lbs. I buy my produce from a local stand which does not have scale. Thanks for the recipe, I can smell it cooking already.

Sally | September 11, 2012 at 5:00 pm

Hi Jim. Without a scale it’s hard to measure. Tomatoes vary so much by size and variety. Strange how they don’t have a scale of any sort. You might be able to figure 4-5 per pound of good sized ones, then multiply by 10. It’s a lot of tomatoes! When I get to the market for tomatoes I will try and figure it out.

k.c. | September 16, 2012 at 6:11 pm

Sally | September 16, 2012 at 11:22 pm

My understanding is that anything made with tomatoes should be pressure canned for food safety, because tomatoes are a low acid food. Maybe whatever you use in your salsa changes that acid/alkaline balance where it is safe to use a hot water can process. Only a pressure canner can reach the 240 degrees necessary to safely process low-acid foods (a ph value greater than 4.6). It would be interesting to know what the ph is in your sauce. If you check it out, let everyone know by commenting back.

Sally | May 21, 2013 at 11:03 am

LaurieTX | June 4, 2013 at 5:12 pm

I saw this on Pinterest yesterday and pinned it. We have a TON of fresh tomatoes ready to be canned. We have tomatoes here in the spring and fall and this is the first time we’ve seen a recipe like this. I’ve got it in the oven right now and it smells AMAZING! I can’t wait to taste it when it’s done! Thank you!

Sally | August 20, 2013 at 9:56 am

Leesa in Oregon | August 22, 2013 at 3:25 pm

This is a FANTASTIC recipe!! I just made it to put in the freezer made with tomatoes from our CSA farm and it will be awesome to have this winter!! I just sealed it in a food saver container in 2 cup increments. Perfect for a quick pasta dinner. I LOVE that it only has a few ingredients and tastes so fresh!! I did add fresh basil and doubled the garlic…. we LOVE both of those. It was fun to have something new to use my garden oregano in. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!!

Sally | August 22, 2013 at 5:33 pm

Peg | September 17, 2013 at 1:34 am

Hi, I just subscribed today. I saw the recipe “Roasted Tomato Marinara Sauce with
Garlic and Oregano and tried to print it out, but message is not able until website completes. Needless to say I was disappointed. I’m picking the last of my tomatoes and I wanted to use this recipe. Can you help me, perhaps send me the recipe until I can figure out why your website doesn’t download completely. I’m still a bit of a rookie when it comes to computers.
Thank You. Peg

Sally | September 17, 2013 at 10:29 am

Hi Peg. Sorry you are having printing problems. Computers can be a challenge when you just want them to cooperate! I emailed you the recipe. Please let me know how it works out for you.Hope you can print from the email.

Jen | September 19, 2013 at 4:07 am

This sounds delicious! I know you mentioned freezing or canning – can you tell me the best way to freeze? And what about thawing for use? Any tips would be appreciated as it looks wonderful and I would love to have extra!

Sally | September 19, 2013 at 9:10 am

Hi Jennifer – It is delicious! I freeze in small glass jars. Fill them almost the top allowing for just a little head space as the sauce may expand a bit when it freezes. Be sure to label and date with masking tape and a sharpie. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or under cold water in the sink, changing the water every 30 minutes until thawed. If you are in a hurry. thaw until you can get it out of the jar, then place in a small saucepan over low heat, covered, until hot and ready to serve. Stir occasionally. Hope this helps!

Dalynn | September 6, 2014 at 5:15 pm

I am so excited to make this tomorrow! I was wondering if roasting them in a couple of 9×13 pans would work or a cookie sheet. If not, I’ll probably just use my big stockpot that’s oven-safe. I don’t have a roasting pot yet! I have one of those disposable aluminum ones but I don’t think that’s recommended for tomatoes. Let me know your thoughts! Thanks for this delicious-looking recipe!

Sally | September 7, 2014 at 6:02 pm

Hi Dalynn. You will have to let me know how how it comes out. Your house will smell great while it is roasting. On the pan issue. 9×13 baking dishes could work. Don’t fill them too full. You may have to roast in smaller batches to get it all done. If you crowd your pans with too many tomatoes, they will more steam than roast because of the liquid. You want the liquid juices to reduce and concentrate. There should still be some juices when it is ready, and the edges of some of the tomatoes might be a little blackened from roasting (I have a convection oven). A pot won’t give the same results. You need the open surface space of a roasting pan or large baking dish. And you are right, aluminum is not good because of the acidity of tomatoes. Could you borrow a pan from a friend? I just loaned one of mine to a friend so she could make this!

Jeff | September 7, 2014 at 7:43 am

Hi Sally,

This is a great recipe – I have been using it for the past few years. I usually make about 50 pint jars. Yum!

Two questions for you: I am always a little worried about the safety of using olive oil (many sources say it’s a no-no); and, in the pressure canner, I often get some jars that seem to boil over. Any suggestions?

Sally | September 7, 2014 at 5:56 pm

Hi Jeff. Thanks for letting me know. I love to hear that a recipe is working and being enjoyed by someone. Really makes me smile. 50 jars! Whoa! On the olive oil question. Because this is just a little oil it is not a problem. If you were canning something in all olive oil, that could be a big issue. Canning a product made only in oil would be a no-no from what I have read. Be sure to wipe the jar rims so that no oil residue is left behind. Food in Jars has a tip about wiping the rim with vinegar, a good idea. http://foodinjars.com/2011/11/canning-101-is-it-safe-to-can-products-that-contain-some-oil/

Syrenna | September 7, 2014 at 3:26 pm

Sally | September 7, 2014 at 5:42 pm

Hi Syrenna. I use a 10 quart Fagor pressure cooker and high pressure. It is the stove top style, not an electric. Process the sauce in pint/half liter jars for 20 minutes or according to the manufacturers instructions.Give yourself enough headroom before screwing on the lids. I have not canned this for awhile. I just freeze it now. Getting lazy! Thanks for the question Syrenna.

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